Computer Security and Compliance

NodeZero from Horizon3.ai is a cutting-edge penetration test (pentest) product family that supports repeated, concurrent, programmable assessment of your network to help you identify, prioritize, fix, and confirm cybersecurity vulnerabilities before threat actors can exploit them. Penetration tests enable you to operate preemptively to block cybercriminals from hijacking data, disturbing productivity, or causing financial or reputational damage. (For an introduction to pentesting, see Progent's pentesting expertise.)

NodeZero's Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) tools are able to use the latest cyber attack methods by relentlessly probing throughout your IT network and chaining together discovered weaknesses until a clear attack path is uncovered. NodeZero then benignly exploits the security gap as evidence of the weakness, assesses and ranks the potential damage that might result from a true malicious attack, documents the issue, and provides AI-powered advice for resolving any problems uncovered. NodeZero's comprehensive reports highlight systemic weaknesses where implementing a single repair can eliminate multiple attack chains. Once you have closed the reported security issues, you can execute NodeZero's 1-click validation feature to confirm remediation actions were successful. NodeZero can automatically generate compliance reports required for SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR, and other important compliance standards.

Progent can provide the guidance of a NodeZero Certified Operator (NCO) to assist you to plan and perform comprehensive penetration tests of your perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure so you can realistically determine your present security posture. Progent can assist you to configure and run NodeZero pentests customized for your IT network, analyze NodeZero results, and fix vulnerabilities according to their potential for damaging your network. Progent can also assist you to develop a unified cybersecurity ecosystem that streamlines management and delivers maximum cyber defense for on-premises, cloud-based, and perimeter IT resources.

Internal and External Pentests
Internal penetration tests with NodeZero assume your network perimeter has been breached and carry out a pentest of your internal infrastructure to determine what security vulnerabilities may be present that subject your network to attack. To assist you to organize your mitigation activity, the NodeZero dashboard makes it clear which internal vulnerabilities could cause the most havoc to your information system and which ones allow the most attack vectors. External pentesting with NodeZero is cloud-based and utilizes the most current hacker techniques to break through your network perimeter.

Common Security Gaps that PEN Testing Can Help Expose and Remediate
Malicious actors continually probe IT networks for weaknesses by using an expanding arsenal of tools and procedures. Although there are many kinds of security flaws, here are some of the most common attack vectors malicious actors attempt to exploit:

• Software applications missing the latest updates and security patches applied
• Code injection problems that allow malicious actors to insert code or queries in a web app that fools the app into running malicious commands or allowing access to critical resources
• Zero-day security gaps in software that neither the target company nor the vendor are yet aware of and consequently have not had a chance to develop a fix
• Authentication issues that make it simpler to get inside a system or masquerade as a valid user
• Setup vulnerabilities that cause gaps in security systems such as opening unsafe ports or leaving cloud storage buckets available to anyone with the correct address
• Known but unpatched OS security gaps
• EOL products for which security patches are no longer created
• SQL Injection
• Easy-to-guess account credentials
• Cross-Site Scripting
• Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR)
• Device misconfigurations
• Unpurged stale objects
• Open systems access
• Outdated methodology security implementations instead of current best practices
• Failure to deploy out-of-band 2FA secured communications (example: Man In The Middle Attacks)

• Phishing Impact Testing: Determine the amount of damage that could be inflicted by an attacker using phished credentials and suggest efficient remediation.
• PCI-DSS Compliance Testing: Perform detailed penetration testing and reporting to show compliance with the PCI Data Security Standard. PCI-DSS compliance reports can be shared with auditors.
• Trip Wires: Intelligently deploy honeypots so you can react quickly to signs of active attacks in high-risk parts of your network.
• Kubernetes Testing: Pentest Kubernetes clusters, uncovering issues such as container escapes, RBAC misconfigurations, and hidden exposures.
• Cloud Testing: Uncover identity and access management vulnerabilities and faulty configurations in Amazon Web Services, Azure/Entra, and Kubernetes.
• Rapid Response: Quickly respond to emerging threats before they have time to cause serious disruption.
• Insider Threat Attack: Anticipate the severity of harm a malicious insider could cause.
• Segmentation Testing: Expose your internal threat surface such as IPs, ports, services and apps prior to running test exploits.
• AD Password Audit: Uncover vulnerabilities in your AD password policy, optimize remediation, and produce a prioritized report of risky accounts.

Benefits of Progent's Pentesting Services
Progent offers affordable external penetration testing services on a one-time or periodic basis. NodeZero's autonomous testing delivers rapid results and provides a full evaluation of your outward facing security profile. These "ethical hacking" services carry a multitude of benefits.

• Meet Requirements of Cyber Insurance Providers: For many cyber insurance companies, periodic pentesting is needed to qualify for or keep a policy.
• Uncover Perimeter Security Gaps: External penetration tests help organizations discover vulnerabilities in their external-facing systems, such as websites, servers, and network devices.
• Realistic Attack Scenarios: Penetration tests simulate realistic attack simulations, giving companies a better comprehension of their susceptibility to various security threats.
• Compliance Requirements: Many regulatory standards (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR) mandate periodic security evaluations, including external pentests. Failing to comply may result in legal and economic consequences.
• Risk Mitigation: Identifying and remediating security gaps early can lower the chances of data breaches, financial losses, and damage to an organization's reputation.
• Vendor Checkups: Organizations can utilize external penetration tests to assess the security of vendors, ensuring that these stakeholders do not add vulnerabilities into your organization's supply chain.
• Improved Incident Response: A penetration test can help companies refine their incident response processes by identifying weaknesses in their ability to discover and react to cybersecurity incidents.
• Security Awareness: Running pentests can raise awareness among employees about the urgency of cybersecurity. It can also help teach them on safe operational practices.
• Build a Cybersecurity Baseline Evaluation: A pentest can build a baseline for cybersecurity, enabling companies to measure the efficacy of cybersecurity enhancements over time.
• Competitive Advantage: Showing a commitment to security through periodic penetration testing can help you gain competitive advantage, indicating to customers and partners that their data is protected.
• Security Budget Justification: Pentest reports offer substantive proof of the necessity of expanded spending in cybersecurity initiatives and products.
• Internal Policy Assessment: Companies can assess whether their internal cybersecurity policies are successful in thwarting external attacks.
• Reducing Attack Surface: By uncovering and addressing weaknesses exposed by a penetration test, companies can minimize their target surface size and cause it to be harder for attackers to break into their systems.
• Incident Simulation: Organizations can launch sophisticated but benign attacks, permitting their cybersecurity teams to practice dealing with realistic threats in a safe environment.
• Continuous Improvement: Periodic external pentests help companies follow their security enhancements over time, helping them remain prepared for the latest threats.
• Legal and Regulatory Cover: In the event of a security breach, being able to produce documented proof of periodic penetration testing efforts can provide a degree of legal and regulatory cover by evidencing reasonable care in security.

Contact Progent for Penetration Testing Expertise
For additional information about Progent's consulting services for NodeZero-based pentesting, call Progent at 800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.

Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line: Call 800-462-8800
Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line is designed to assist organizations to complete the crucial first steps in responding to a ransomware attack by stopping the bleeding. Progent's online ransomware engineer can assist businesses to identify and quarantine infected devices and protect clean assets from being penetrated. If your network has been breached by any strain of ransomware, don't panic. Get immediate help by calling Progent's Ransomware Hot Line at 800-462-8800. For more information, visit Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line.